A Cowansville company has been found guilty of destroying the nests of shore swallows, an endangered wildlife species, during construction.
Pete Persons Terre Sable et Gravier Inc. pleaded guilty last Thursday to two offenses under the Species at Risk Act during a hearing at the Granby courthouse. Consequently, the company will be forced to pay a fine of $ 15,000 which will be paid into the Government of Canada’s Environmental Damages Fund.
Environment and Climate Change Canada wildlife law enforcement officers visited the quarries and sand pits in the Estrie region on June 5, 2019 to perform inspections regarding the bank swallow, we learn in a press release from the government body.
Noting the presence of two nesting sites of the threatened bird near the site of the offending company, the agents warned her not to disturb the animals and their nests.
Upon their return on July 31, officers discovered that the two sites, including one that was in operation in June, had been destroyed by heavy machinery.
Over the past 40 years, 98% of the Canadian Bank Swallow population has disappeared. The animal was added to the endangered species list under the Species at Risk Act on November 2, 2017.
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